This application claims the priority of German Patent Application Serial No. 101 35 033.3, filed Jul. 18, 2001, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a clamp for a cylindrical element, such as an electric cable, tube or hose. The present invention also relates to an assembly kit for making a series of interconnected clamps.
German patent document DE 195 09 997 A1, published Sep. 26, 1996, describes a clamp for a cable, having a base portion and a clamping portion, each including two peripheral flanges. Both, base portion and clamping portion, are arranged in spaced-apart confronting relationship to provide a common through opening for holding the cable. The peripheral flanges are formed with bores for bolting the base portion and the clamping portion together by respective screws inserted through the bores. In this way, the base portion and the clamping portion are mutually braced via the cable. The base portion is provided with a fastening element for attachment of the clamp.
German utility model DE 296 15 463 U1, published Apr. 30, 1997, describes a hose clamp, which can be adjusted in different directions and includes a retention member swingably received in the clamp and intended for passage of a hose.
Conventional clamps suffer shortcomings in conjunction with attaining a simple and stable connection to an attachment surface, especially planar attachment surface.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved clamp which obviates prior art shortcomings and which can be mounted to an attachment surface of an attachment member in a stable and secure manner.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a clamp for a cylindrical element, in particular an electric cable, tube or hose, includes a base portion having an inner side in the form of a trough-like concave first indentation and an outer side provided with a first attachment surface, a clamping portion having an inner side in the form of a trough-like concave second indentation in spaced apart confronting relationship to the first indentation to thereby define a common through opening for passage of a cylindrical element, and an outer side provided with a second attachment surface, wherein the first and second attachment surfaces are configured for force-fitting engagement with a complementary attachment surface, wherein the second attachment surface includes cutout formed with internal teeth for optional positive engagement of external circumferential teeth of a protrusion of a base portion of a further such base portion or external circumferential teeth of a protrusion of a connection piece, such that the internal and external teeth are constrained against rotation; and fasteners for interconnecting the base portion to the clamping portion via the cylindrical element to thereby hold the cylindrical element in a clamping zone.
As the internal and external teeth are constrained against rotation, an assembly in form of a stack of superimposed clamps can be realized in a simple and effective manner whereby a clamping portion of one clamp can be directly connected to a base portion of another superimposed clamp.
Suitably, the complementary attachment surface is formed on an outer side of the connection piece and the protrusion is formed on an inner side of the connection piece.
According to another feature of the present invention, the first and second indentations define a longitudinal axis and are arranged in symmetric relationship with respect to a center plane in which the longitudinal axis extends.
In order to realize a placement of two cylindrical elements of different diameters, the first and second indentations may each be comprised of two part-cylindrical concave inner surfaces. Cylindrical elements of any diameter can be received when the first and second indentations are each comprised of two halves having curved inner surfaces defined by a radius of curvature which decreases from inside to the outside.
According to another feature of the present invention, the first indentation defines a longitudinal axis and together with the longitudinal axis may be curved convexly to the outside. In this way, a better guidance of the cylindrical element is attained.
According to yet another feature of the present invention, the first and second attachment surfaces and the complementary attachment surface of the connection piece are planar.